Harford County Cultural Arts Advisory Board, which operates under the auspices of the Harford County Public Library Board of Library Trustees, has awarded Community Arts Development Grants to 25 nonprofits for Fiscal Year 2026. 
 
Community Arts Development Grants offer two types of funding: general operating support for nonprofit arts organizations located in Harford County and arts programming funding for nonprofit organizations located in or serving Harford County.
 
Receiving grants for general operating support are Harford Ballet Company, $9,500; Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra, $9,000; Tidewater Players, $9,000; Harford Artists' Association, Inc., $8,500; Harmer's Town Art Center, Inc., $8,500; Harford Choral Society, $7,400; Maryland Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, Inc., $6,600; Havre de Grace Arts Collective, $6,000; Scottfield Theatre Company, $6,000; Theatreworks Live, Inc., $6,000; Burning Barriers Building Bridges Youth Theatre, $5,000; Deer Creek Chorale, $5,000; True North Project, Inc., $4,500; Upper Chesapeake Chorus of Sweet Adelines International, Inc., $3,700; River Stone Theatre Company, $2,600; and Rogue Swan Theatre Company, Inc., $2,500.
 
Recipients of grants for arts programming funding are Bel Air Recreation Committee, $9,000; Ladew Topiary Gardens, $8,300; Harford Community College, $8,000; Bach Concert Series, $6,150; The Liriodendron Foundation, $5,000; Friends of Jerusalem Mill, $3,600; The Vestry of Deer Creek Parish, $3,000; The Ed Lally Foundation, $2,500; and The Historical Society of Harford County, $1,650.
 
More information about the grants may be found at https://www.culturalartsboard.org/fy26-grant-recipients.html.
 
“A life well-lived is deeply enriched by the presence and influence of the arts. The Harford County Cultural Arts Advisory Board plays a key role in helping to preserve, enhance and promote the arts in our community, and we are grateful for their expertise,” said Mary Hastler, CEO of Harford County Public Library. “This year’s Community Arts Development Grants support a wide range of nonprofits and arts programming, which contributes to making Harford County a wonderful place to live, work and play.”
 
Meg McReynolds, cultural arts and community outreach coordinator at Harford County Public Library, said, “The arts play an important role in the vitality of Harford County, and HCCAAB is proud to work in partnership with these stellar nonprofits to ensure ongoing access to the arts for our local communities. These grants provide critical funding for nonprofits to support their ongoing operations and to provide arts experiences such as plays, concerts and dance performances for audiences of all ages.”
 
Harford County Cultural Arts Advisory Board also provides Arts in Education Grants, which offer funding for arts experiences for Harford’s nonprofit schools, government facilities and community-based settings serving youth or other traditionally underserved populations. For more information or to apply, visit https://www.culturalartsboard.org/arts-in-education-grants.html.
 
Founded in 1973, Harford County Cultural Arts Advisory Board is the official county arts agency, serving as the primary local resource for arts organizations, independent artists and the audiences of Harford County. The government-appointed advisory board provides grant funding, sponsors workshops, events and promotional opportunities, and encourages, advocates for and invests in the advancement of the arts in Harford County. Since December 2015, Harford County Cultural Arts Advisory Board has operated under the auspices of the Harford County Public Library Board of Library Trustees.
 
Activities are made possible by a County Arts Development grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, a Maryland State agency under the authority of the Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts.
 
To learn more about the services and programs of Harford County Cultural Arts Advisory Board, or if you are interested in serving on the Cultural Arts Advisory Board, visit www.CulturalArtsBoard.org. 
 
Harford County Public Library operates 11 branches located throughout Harford County offering access to ideas that inform, entertain and inspire. Last year the Library interacted with its residents more than 12 million times – borrowing free materials, visiting branches and the website, using free WiFi and attending classes and events. In 2024 Harford County Public Library received the Maryland Library Association Excellence in Marketing Award for graphic excellence for the second time. For more information, visit HCPLonline.org.